Shahbaz responsible for gas, power crises in Punjab

SAMBRIAL - Deputy Prime Minister and former Punjab CM Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi Sunday said that the PML-N representatives were ‘deaf and dumb’ and shifted the onus for the prevailing gas and electricity crisis in the province fairly and squarely on Shahbaz Sharif.Addressing a public meeting here, the deputy PM claimed that had Shahbaz Sharif agreed to the proposal put forth by PML-Q Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, the duration of power outages would have been dropped to only four hours a day. “If there is no gas and electricity in the province today, it is Shahbaz Sharif who is responsible for this,” he snapped.Slamming the Punjab administration’s performance, Pervaiz Elahi said that billions of rupees were squandered in projects like Aashiana Scheme, Tandoor Scheme and laptop distribution.He pointed out that PML-N President Nawaz Sharif talked about ‘bad governance’ in Sindh, “I ask him (Nawaz) whether there is good governance in the Punjab?’“Nawaz Sharif laments poor law and order situation in Sindh. ‘Mian Sahib’ one should put right his own house first,” he advised.The Deputy PM said that the PML-Q had reached seat adjustment with the PPP and the party would contest the upcoming general elections under this formula across Pakistan.He claimed that the PML-Q political future was very bright and it would steer the country out of all crises after becoming into power by winning the upcoming general elections on the basis of its performance.He said that the PML-N-led Punjab government had proven to be a failed government due to its ill-planned and imprudent policies. He claimed that the incumbent Punjab rulers were promoting the politics of revenge instead of serving the masses practically. Ch Pervaiz Elahi criticized the Punjab government for what he called wasting of public money on launching, “Jungla Bus Service” by spending Rs40 billion on the project. He claimed that the Punjab government would have to bear Rs1 billion as subsidy on monthly basis on the “Jungla Bus Project.” This will put additional burden on the price hike beaten people in Punjab and is great injustice with the poor masses,” he described.He alleged that the incumbent Punjab rulers were spending public money on running their election campaign. He claimed that the PML-Q conducted record development projects across the province including the Southern Punjab during its regime.The deputy PM revealed that the PML-Q would award party tickets purely on merit to its candidate and it would never allow anyone to harm democracy in the country. He said that the PML-Q would foil every undemocratic bid by moving ahead towards the goal of political and economical stability shoulder to shoulder with the PPP.The former CM pledged to revive all development projects including the mega project of Sialkot-Lahore Motorway abolished by the PML-N government. He also accused the Punjab government of shelving several social welfare and development oriented projects (worth billion of rupees) in Sialkot including the mega project of Sialkot-Lahore Motorway. Pervaiz Elahi said that the PML-Q provincial government had established four degree colleges in Sialkot district during its tenure but the PML-N government had not yet allowed these colleges to run and was still creating hurdles in the way of making these colleges functional.Earlier, Ch Pervaiz Elahi was accorded a warm welcome upon his arrival at Sambrial from where he was taken to the venue of the public meeting in a long procession of vehicles.

This news was published in The Nation newspaper. Read complete newspaper of 11-Feb-2013 here.